Pay all care workers living wage, says UNISON

UNISON is calling on all employers to pay the living wage to care workers and all councils to adopt UNISON’s Ethical Care Charter in its Social care manifesto for Scotland to improve working conditions for some of the worst paid public workers in Scotland.

UNISON manifesto Social Care in Scotland is launched today (Monday 2 May) (See on website)

Improving the quality of care means seriously addressing workforce issues, the most important of which is pay. Despite the introduction of the Chancellor’s new UK ‘Living’ Wage which sets an hourly rate of £7.20 for workers aged 25 and over, many employers do not pay for time to travel between visits or make other cuts to terms and conditions. UNISON believes that all providers should be required to pay the Scottish Living Wage (currently £8.25 in Scotland) through the procurement process.

April Scotland in UNISON now online

Ten ways to strengthen Scotland’s services: Manifesto for the Scottish election

‘We want to see a Parliament using the powers at its disposal in order to enhance our public services to create a fairer and sustainable Scotland,’ Mike Kirby, Scottish Secretary and Lilian Macer, Scottish Convener;
– Full rundown on UNISON Scotland’s manifesto,
– Defend the principles that underlie public services,
– UNISON wins landmark pay deal for low paid NHS workers
– Scotland must recognise the poor state of social work
– Events around Scotland for Workers’ Memorial Day
– MayDay: Marches, rallies and a Glasgow festival
– Framework sets out vision for fair work in Scotland
– Showing racism the red card
– Getting UNISON’s message across in the media
– Did you know there’s a Disabled Members Committee in Scotland?
– Highland action against Anti-Union Bill
– Be Aware mental health campaign
and much more - click here to see on website - click here for a pdf

Time for childcare promises to be backed by resources

UNISON is calling for fine words and promises to increase childcare to be backed by extra resources for children, parents and the workforce, in its Early Learning and Childcare Manifesto 2016.

Currently Scotland’s childcare provision is patchy, complex and expensive. We need a radical overhaul of childcare provision to ensure that it provides what families actually want: an affordable, safe nurturing environment for their children. This will mean extending flexible working and leave for parents; and fair pay, training and career paths for those working in childcare, as well as more resources put into extra hours.

A balanced workforce for policing that delivers

Since the establishment of Police Scotland police staff have borne the brunt of a process of centralisation, budget cuts and politically driven targets. This process has been bad for policing, bad for communities and bad for staff. UNISON Scotland calls for policing in Scotland to be properly resourced with a balanced workforce responsive to locally determined priorities.

The new Chief Constable has said he is committed to developing a “sustainable operating model”. Cutting millions from budgets and demanding the same, or more, work from a dwindling number of Police staff is not a “sustaining operating model”. UNISON Scotland is opposed to neither change nor efficiency, but cutting tens of millions from budgets year on year cannot continue without adversely impacting on policing. Those who seek to govern Scotland should also seek to ensure that Scotland’s Police Service is adequately resourced to keep Scotland safe.

UNISON defends Council Living Wage from attack by MSP

Monday 5 March 2012
News release from UNISON South Lanarkshire:
Margaret Mitchell Conservative MSP for Central Scotland has been criticised by union leaders and Councillor Jackie Burns, Deputy Leader of South Lanarkshire Council.

Mitchell has criticised South Lanarkshire Council for the implementation of a Living Wage of £7.20 from 1st April, claiming the cost will lead to cuts in services and jobs.

However, Stephen Smellie, Secretary of UNISON's South Lanarkshire Branch said:

"Margaret Mitchell fails to note the hugely poitive impact which the living wage has on the families who will gain from its introduction. It is primarily low paid women who make up the workforce who have benefitted from the Living Wage. They will now be better able to buy a spare pair of shoes or a winter coat for their kids.

"Studies have shown that introducing the Living Wage leads to a better motivated staff and an improvement in service delivery. This is why it is supported by, amongst many others, Tory Boris Johnson in London. Therefore Margaret Mitchell is wrong to raise the spectre of cuts in services. The Council have planned for and budgeted for the Living Wage. The trade unions are engaged fully with them in seeking to protect services, despite the cuts which flow from the economic policies of the Tory led Coalition government.

"She also fails to note the impact that the Living Wage has as a boost for the local economy. Any increase in pay to low paid women is spent, mainly, in local shops. I would have thought she would have welcomed this boost to the local economy."

Stephen Smellie said:
"I am aware of workers in the community and voluntary sector as well as the private sector who do not earn the Living Wage and I would hope Margaret Mitchell would support UNISON’s campaign for the Living Wage to be extended to those sectors.

"The Living Wage is a good news story for everyone."


Note for editors:
The statement from Margaret Mitchell is copied below for your information.
News
02 MAR 2012
Forcing businesses to pay living wage would be counterproductive
 
In today's Local Government and Regeneration Committee debate, Scottish Conservatives urged caution on the introduction of a living wage. There are concerns that the higher wage could lead to a reduction in local services or job opportunities.
Scottish Conservative Local Government Spokesperson, Margaret Mitchell urged for the payment of the living wage to be voluntary.
Margaret Mitchell MSP said:
"All things being equal, the living wage is an admirable aspiration and one which we would want to achieve.
"In the region which I represent, South Lanarkshire Council spent £3.5 million in 2011/12 introducing the living wage. From April 2012 a further £2 million will be spent increasing the rate of pay to £7.20. In total this council will have spent a staggering £5.5 million on the living wage.
"If the costs of introduction and payment of the living wage are so high and this then is seen to result in a corresponding reduction or cut in local services and job losses, this could understandably lead to resentment.
"This is particularly true given that public sector workers' wages are higher than many in the private, voluntary or third sectors, because taxpayers' money has been used to make this a priority over service delivery.
"Furthermore, payment of the living wage must be voluntary. In the current economic climate the priority must be to maximise employment opportunities and any attempt to force businesses to pay the living wage would be counterproductive."

End of statement by Margaret Mitchell MSP Scottish Tory Local Government spokesperson

UNISON's better way for local government includes a Living Wage for all - find out more in our local government manifesto here:
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/UNISONScotlandLocalGovermentSummaryManifesto2012.pdf

.

UNISON health checks for ministerial candidates

Contenders for the position of Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing in the next Scottish Government will lay out their stalls at a major UNISON Scotland Health Conference in Glasgow today (Friday, 15 April).

May 5 Election: Ask your candidates

UNISON Scotland has published a leaflet with questions to ask your candidates about our public services in the Scottish Parliament Elections on 5 May. Get your lefalet at http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/index.html